Trick or Tweet (1959)

Trick or Tweet Review

Trick or Tweet is a 1959 animated short film from the Merry Melodies series. It is a very good cartoon.

Sylvester the Cat and a goony orange cat pretend not to let their rivalry over trying to catch Tweety Bird interfere with their friendship, while each secretly makes an attempt to grab and eat the canary while the other isn’t looking. This is a return to those Sylvester/Tweety cartoons with another cat. There hadn’t been one in quite a while until this wonderful 1959 short that is mostly terrific in its execution.

While the first half is inferior and it could have used more memorable gags, the second half is where the best action and humor are. The final sequence is gloriously executed and all the funnier because it doesn’t really make sense in both cats’ logic. Their rivalry is interesting as they are obviously friends, so the dynamic is fresh and unique. Tweety also got some good moments here, but for the most part this short is all about these crazy cats trying to catch him.

Trick or Tweet is a very funny short that benefits from an interesting central dynamic and a superb finale.

My Rating – 4